Here's the short version:

Master cylinder ran dry and pedal went to the floor

I decided to replace the whole hydraulic system (120k on the car).

Replaced master cylinder, slave cylinder and rubber line with SS one.

Build a pressure bleeder to bleed the system (like this: http://www.nexternal.com/bimmerworl/...werBleeder.JPG )

system appears to be bled now, holds 10 psi of pressure just fine and no air bubbles escape from either bleed valve.

I still have no clutch. The pedal develops resistance at the bottom of it's stroke but will not come back up completely. I think it's an adjustment issue with the clevis/rod on the master cylinder. For the life of me I cannot adjust the engagement point, at all. I cannot rotate the rod by hand and it is impossible to get any kind of tool on it. Wtf do I do now?

While I was cursing and trying to adjust the engagement point I noticed something else. The tranny will shift, without the pedal depressed and even without the pedal/master cylinder linkage hooked up. It slips right into 1st, 2nd, 3rd gear as if I had the clutch fully disengaged. Is it possible that whatever mechanism the slave cylinder pushes against has broken / gotten stuck? Again, wtf do I do now?

Thanks

 

It goes into gear with the car off, clutch engaged? That's completely normal.

Did you loosen the jam nut on the adjustment rod before attempting to turn it?

Did you match up the adjustment rod on the old and new master cylinder?

 

Hey, thanks for the help. It's going into gear with the car off, and no pressure applied to either the pedal or the master cylinder. At this point the master cylinder is not even hooked up the pedal. That's not normal is it?

Yes, the jam nut is backed off (good suggestion though)

No, I didn't match up the adjustment rod like I should have. I actually took the old master cyl. apart to try to rebuild it before replacing with new and, in the disassembly process, removed the rod and clevis completely.

 

1.) Yep.
2.) There's your problem, I'd guess. Of course, you always could check the clutch fork to make sure it didn't somehow jam fully released, but that's very unlikely.

 

Ok, well that's a relief. I was afraid I had somehow managed to trash the clutch fork. I think my problem is that the clevis is just screwed down way too far on the rod. I'm going to go ahead and pull the master cylinder out and adjust it there before reinstalling, since I can't rotate the rod when it's installed

Thanks for the help, I was ready to light a match and collect the insurance!

 

LOL ... been there mate! More than once in fact! LOL

Thing of it is ... it's not much good if you voice it first. "so ... what happened to you car Sir?" "I don't know, it just went poof and was on fire!"